Zawadzka-Gołosz, Anna

Composer and teacher, she was born in Cracow and studied composition with Krystyna Moszumańska-Nazar and music theory at the city’s Music Academy. In 1986–87 she continued her composition studies with Wolfgang Hufschmidt and Nikolaus A. Huber (electronic music studio) at the Folkwang High School of Music, Theatre and Dance in Essen–Werden. Since graduation, she has worked at the Music Academy in Cracow, where she became a professor in 2011 and now heads the composition class. 

She has cooperated with the Polish Radio Experimental Studio in Warsaw and the Electronic Studio of the Cracow Music Academy, developing electroacoustic works.

At the International Summer Courses for Young Composers in Kazimierz Dolny (1983–86), she was inspired by composers such as Iannis Xenakis, Witold Lutosławski, Makoto Shinohara, Witold Szalonek, François-Bernard Mâche, and Lars Gunnar Bodin. 

Her output includes symphony, chamber, and electroacoustic works, which have been performed throughout Poland and internationally. She currently focuses on purely instrumental music, developing her own concept of “colour harmony” and spatial musical narrative. She explores the idea of unfolding the musical narrative “into the depth of the sound image,” starting with the Space Suite for 17 instruments (2006), opposing the “flat” and “spatial” image, as well as overcoming difficulties in multilayered and multidimensional perception. 

Witold Lutosławski, particularly his idea of “composing perception,” occupies an important role in her creative and analytical thinking; she has notably authored the articles “Unimportant moments in the music of Witold Lutosławski” and “On composing perception. The case of Witold Lutosławski.” 

Selected works: Stained Glass II for clarinet, cellos, vibraphone and accordion (1980), Senza for double bass (1984), Esoterikos for soprano and oboe quartet (1985), Girare for percussion and tape (1986), Ornamental Improvisations for two violins, clarinet, cello, vibraphone and piano (1991), Blades for percussion (1992), Rhetorical Figures for three string quartets, strings, oboe, harpsichord and piano (1993), Poco a poco piú... for viola and piano (1994), Trio contra punctum for flute, oboe and bassoon (1996), Glissbigliando for oboe and tape (1997), Mozartkugeln for flute (1998), Mirrors for string orchestra (1999), Metaphrases for string quartet (2001), Cadenza for string quartet (2001), Fantasy and Chorale for piano (2001), Concerto for 8-string guitar and string orchestra with piano and harpsichord (2002), Resonance Dances for cello and string quartet (2005), Space Suite for 17 instruments (2006), Epiphrases for wind quintet and percussion (2008), Descentfor cello and symphony orchestra (2009), Spettro for violin, piano and symphony orchestra (2012), Prelude and Fugue for piano (2012), Danzonettafor flute (2013), Essay On Earth and Sky for cello and piano (2014),Grass Chorales for piano (2015), Three Psalms for cello (2015), Three Psalms in Landscape for cello and piano (2016), Choreophonies for symphony orchestra (2016), Sussurro di campane for piano (2017), Poco divertimento for cello and piano (2018), Ex motu for orchestra (2018).